In her 1986 essay, “Through the One-Way Mirror,” Margaret Atwood wrote that people in the United States “are rarely aware that they are even being watched, much less by the Canadians” and that “Americans don’t really see Canadians as foreigners.” As a U.S. citizen who’s been lucky enough to travel overland from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and to live in areas as diverse as Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, and Vancouver, British Columbia, I can attest to Atwood’s point—and to the greater awareness that Canadians have of the States.
One way to learn more about the rich culture and history of Canada is to read Canadian books, many of which emerge from a publishing ecosystem that’s designed to preserve artistic integrity and bold experimentation.
I recently emailed some prominent Canadian publishers to get their perspective on the field there. David Caron, co-publisher of Annick Press, a long-established independent press for young readers, explains that relying solely on commercial revenue can make publishers “unambitious, publishing books that don’t stray too far from books that have proven to sell.” Robust public funding—from provincial and national sources such as the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Book Fund, and the Canada Council for the Arts—allows Canadian publishers to support a book because they “believe strongly in its potential, without being hamstrung by the overwhelming fear of not selling enough.” Caron argues that this is why “Canada has produced a wealth of truly original, sought-after books that have captured the imagination of both Canada and the world.”
Peter Phillips, a YA editor at Tundra Book Group, writes that “our Canadian middle grade and young adult fiction lists have significantly more titles from exciting new Indigenous creators. These books have a much larger presence here in Canada than in the United States…which is fantastic and helps promote great diverse voices.”
Emma Rodgers, co-publisher at Second Story Press, emphasizes that Canadian government funding is something they value greatly, particularly given “a lack of support for the arts trending in many places.” These grants help them “reach out to Canadian and U.S. librarians, booksellers, and readers to let them know about our books that feature LGBTQ+ characters, people of colour, Indigenous stories—books that are central to our publishing list and that are being challenged, banned—even burned in one instance we know of.”
As we think about global literature and exposing young readers to diverse viewpoints, let’s include vibrant, world-class Canadian literature like the following 2025 releases—just a small sampling of the wealth available.
Like a Bird by Becky Citra (March 4), from feminist-oriented Second Story Press, is a beautifully written story about a teen coping with the loss of a parent, adult responsibilities, and wildfire threats in rural British Columbia. Readers who love character-driven contemporary stories will savor this one.
Romance fans will adore Jackie Khalilieh’s emotionally rich sophomore novel, You Started It (May 20), from Tundra Books, Canada’s oldest English-language young readers’ publisher. A fake-dating scheme between Jamie, who’s white and Palestinian Canadian, and Axel, who’s Lebanese Canadian, leads to sweet true love.
From Inhabit Media, an Inuit-owned independent publisher that amplifies Arctic voices, we have The Haunted Blizzard (June 2), a spooky, atmospheric graphic novel by Inuk author Aviaq Johnston with dramatic artwork by Athena Gubbe. Inu, home alone after bad weather closes school early, wonders what lurks in the shadows.
Ours To Tell: Reclaiming Indigenous Stories (April 29) by Eldon Yellowhorn (Piikani Nation) and Kathy Lowinger comes from Annick, and presents engaging, broad-ranging profiles of Indigenous people, highlighting historical and contemporary heritage through rich visuals and accessible text.
Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.
